NCAA FB

No. 12 Aggies prepare for UTEP

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)

As No. 12 Texas A&M gets a break from the high-pressure
Southeastern Conference with a nonconference game against UTEP on
Saturday, coach Kevin Sumlin took time to reflect on his two star
players.

He raved about quarterback Johnny Manziel and receiver Mike
Evans after the two were selected semifinalists for the Maxwell
Award.

Then he wondered why only Manziel was being touted as a Heisman
Trophy contender.

''I'm puzzled why Mike Evans isn't in the Heisman race,'' Sumlin
said. ''I think he's as good a player as there is in the
country.''

Manziel, who became the first freshman to win the Heisman last
season, is again a front-runner for the award after throwing for
2,594 yards with 22 touchdowns and running for 497 yards with six
more scores.

The 6-foot-5 Evans is second in the nation with 1,101 yards
receiving and has scored 11 touchdowns, but hasn't been mentioned
much in Heisman talk.

''He's second in the country in yards per game and everybody
knows we're going to throw him the ball,'' Sumlin said.

One possible explanation for Evans not getting Heisman
consideration is because he's on the same team as Manziel. But
Sumlin brushed off that thought after the experience he had as an
assistant at Oklahoma in 2004.

''People say you can't have two guys that can do that,'' Sumlin
said. ''But I was on a team at Oklahoma that had Jason White and
Adrian Peterson.''

That season Matt Leinart won the award and Peterson and White
finished second and third.

Five things to know about the UTEP-Texas A&M game:

BIG UNDERDOGS: The Miners are 46-point underdogs and have lost
five in a row entering Saturday's game. Texas A&M has won both
previous meetings in the series, but the teams haven't met since
2000.

UTEP coach Sean Kugler knows his team has a big challenge.

''To say we've got our work cut out for us is an
understatement,'' he said. ''We're going to have to play our best
and be mistake-free to even have a chance to be in this game.
That's not sugar coating it.''

400 CLUB: Texas A&M has finished with at least 400 yards in
20 straight games. It's a school record and the second-longest
streak in the FBS. They've surpassed the 500-yard mark in their
last seven games and have had at least 400 yards in all but one
game since Sumlin took over.

NEW QUARTERBACK: Blaire Sullivan takes over the offense with
former A&M player Jameill Showers out with a shoulder injury.
Sullivan had 112 yards passing and a touchdown after Showers was
injured against Rice. Sullivan has 402 yards passing and 261 yards
rushing in nine career games.

''He's just got to play within the system and take what's there
for you,'' Kugler said. ''He'll get more opportunities with
practice reps and he'll be much better this week.''

IMPROVED DEFENSE: Texas A&M's struggling defense had a
better performance last week against Vanderbilt. The unit had three
interceptions - one returned for a touchdown - and seven sacks in
that game.

''For them to have some success is important,'' Sumlin said.
''We're better. We're not great by any means, but we're better.
Hopefully some success by the young guys and some success by the
defense will make us better. We'll continue to get better and gain
some confidence from that moving forward.''

AGAINST TOP-25: UTEP is 1-30 all-time against ranked opponents
on the road. The Miners last win over a ranked team away from El
Paso came in a 31-27 victory over No. 14 Arizona State in 1974. But
the Miners have had more recent success against teams in the top-25
at home. UTEP's last win overall against a ranked opponent came
when the Miners beat No. 12 Houston, then coached by Sumlin, 58-41,
in 2009.

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